Pawlenty sets stage for a Capitol revolution
by Art Hughes, Minnesota Public Radio
November 6, 2002

Minnesota Gov.-elect Tim Pawlenty met with reporters and talked with outgoing Gov. Jesse Ventura about making the transition into office on Wednesday. Pawlenty says the election means Republican ideals will have a much smoother time at the Capitol than in the past.

Any past disagreements between Pawlenty and Gov. Jesse Ventura were set aside as the two appeared together at a press conference.

(MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

St. Paul, Minn. — Since Tim Pawlenty was elected to the Legislature in 1992, Republicans have never controlled the House and the governor's office at the same time. That will change when Pawlenty takes the oath of office in January. And where he once saw roadblocks to Republican principles, the governor-elect now sees a clearer path.

"Obviously with a more Republican House and a more Republican Senate, that's going to put our agenda more fully into play," he said.

Democrats retain control of the Senate, but the margin narrowed, and Republicans added to their lead in the House with 82 members.

Pawlenty says crafting a budget will be his top priority as he prepares for the upcoming legislative session. Some officials have estimated the budget deficit could reach $3 billion by the time he presents his recommendations to the Legislature.

Mary Pawlenty is a Dakota County judge, and judges are prevented by law from appearing at political events.
(MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

Pawlenty says he and GOP legislative leaders will talk in coming weeks about how best to approach other issues.

"Trying to finish, or continue the job on education reform and improvement. We talked during the campaign and we'll talking as we move towards the session about performance pay for teachers. Making sure we replace or dramatically improve the standards of curriculum we use in our schools. There's going to be significant public safety issues. There's going to be transportation issues," he said.

Other items that Republicans have tried, but failed, to pass include a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, easing the issuance of concealed gun permits and requiring the Pledge of Allegiance in the state's public schools.

During the campaign, Pawlenty also proposed borrowing for road and bridge improvements and requiring visa expiration dates on immigrants' drivers' licenses. z

Pawlenty says it's too early to say where he plans to make any changes in the appointed members of the administration. He says he'll give more details on his transition efforts later in the week.

A smiling House Speaker Steve Sviggum of Kenyon says the party has been granted a great trust by Minnesota voters. "Now we have to deliver on that trust. We have to deliver with fairness, with reasonable good judgments. We have to deliver on that trust. And we will be judged within a few months, a couple years, on how we deliver that trust to the citizens of the state," he said.

The state Senate now remains the only barrier to the Republican agenda.

Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum of Kenyon says the Republican Party "has been granted a great trust by Minnesota voters."
(MPR Photo/Art Hughes)

Hopkins DFLer Steve Kelly, a Senate Majority Whip, says since Pawlenty is coming from the ranks of the Legislature he'll be less likely than Gov. Ventura to criticize the Legislature as a group. But Kelly says he foresees potential battles over issues like state education standards and what Kelly calls "individual liberties."

"If he tries to find some grounds for bipartisan solutions, hopefully people in the DFL will try to meet him halfway. But if the approach they take is partisan and they do push some of these contentious issues -- tie things up when we should be paying attention to solving the budget problem and improving education in Minnesota -- then things might not go well," according to Kelly.

Any past disagreements between Pawlenty and Gov. Jesse Ventura were set aside as the two appeared together at a press conference. Ventura says he will do what he can to ease the way for the new Pawlenty administration.

"I'm not going to provide any difficulties. I want their transition to be as smooth as it possibly can. In fact if they can move the date up I'll take that," said Ventura.

Governor-elect Pawlenty also took time to introduce his wife, Mary, to reporters. Mary Pawlenty is a Dakota County judge, and judges are prevented by law from appearing at political events. Also, because she must reside in her judicial district, the Pawlentys say they won't be moving into the Governor's Residence on Summit Avenue in St. Paul.